Originally Posted by bbbean

First things first. It doesn't matter if you race. It is enough to simply enjoy going fast. We all come to cycling for our own personal reasons. If speed isn't one of your reasons, there's no need to be concerned with speed. If it is, you're going to do what you have to do to get fast.

Now, that said, if you are racing, and races are often decided by fractions of a second, why on earth would you pass on technology that could make you a fraction of a second faster? While it is true that strategy and fitness are larger factors than equipment, it is also true that most everyone in a race is at a similar level of fitness.

Crux of the matter is that anything that can make you faster is something you're interested in if you want to be competitive. Tha means training, strategizing, and using the best gear you can afford.

Is any of that really not obvious?